Policy
Tamariki will be empowered to successfully negotiate transitions within and beyond the Centre trough procedures that acknowledge continuity of learning and overall well-being and sense of belonging for the child.
Procedure
Several months prior to a child’s 5th birthday the following steps will begin to ensure that they will be empowered to successfully negotiate their transition to school through procedures that acknowledge continuity of learning and the overall well-being and sense of belonging for the child.
A school information booklet will be formulated of each of the local schools which will include relevant information and photo’s of areas of the school including the toilets, playground, classroom, key teachers etc.
Approximately 8 weeks before the child is due to start school a designated teacher will initiate a conversation with the parents of the child to establish which school it is likely their child will be attending. Our transition policy and support offered by our team will be clearly outlined to the child’s parents/whanau.
A designated teacher will contact the school and request a brief meeting to introduce ourselves and familiarise ourselves with the new entrant class and the teacher’s expectations and protocols relevant to the child starting school. This meeting is to establish a reciprocal relationship with the new entrant teachers of our local schools as we outline our transition policy and invite them to visit us and the child during their time at the Centre.
Establish whether there is opportunity to organise a school visit with the chills which will support the parent-child visit schedule.
Teachers will work alongside the child, whanau and parents to support the learning of the relevant kaupapa of the school – with the use of the school information pack.
A transition to school portfolio will be prepared before the first school visit as a taonga of information about the child for them to share with their new teacher and classmates.
This will include information about Storypark link.
There will be a leaving ceremony for each child during their final days. This will include an invite to whanau to celebrate their forthcoming transition. We will adorn the child with our centre korowai reflecting their whanau aspirations. Photos will be taken and displayed on our celebration wall.
Whanau and children will be encouraged to continue links with the centre.
Whakawhanaungatanga
The link for a positive transition from our early learning environment to school is “whakawhanaungatanga” We also acknowledge that whakapapa is a connection to people through geneology.
Children’s continuity of learning connects with their experiences, knowledge, skills and attributes. In an assessment framework whakapapa is where past learning connects to learning in the present, which continues to grow and evolve into the future.
Whanau and teacher relationships within the early learning environment and our school communities are paramount throughout this transition period.